HBBC Week #4 Recap

We've finished week four of the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge and, while I stepped back a bit on my level of exercise, I'm perfectly okay with that. This is the lowest points week that I've had yet in the challenge, but I was traveling and we just had a busy week in general, so I did what I could and I still feel good. I have kept on track with the fruits and veggies and that is helping me to feel great. There was a day and a half of traveling/conference/dinners that I had no control over what I ate, but I still managed to stay on with my freggies. 

HBBC Week #4 Roll-Up: 
Miles Run/Walk: 12.04
Strength/Core Workouts: 2
Yoga Practice: 1
Group Cardio Workouts: 1

Swims: 0

Days w/ Complete Freggies Intake: 7

Total Weekly HBBC Points: 28.04
Bonus Points: 8

It was in the 30s and I was running:
This is actually a big victory!

Week 3 Goal: Keep up my run/walk mileage. My goal will be to get in between 10-15  miles between runs and walks.

Even though I was traveling mid-week and was too lazy to pack workout gear ;), Matt's early morning-week encouraged me to get out there and jog with the dog on days where I would have otherwise stayed in bed! And when Sunday morning rolled around and I was short of meeting my 10 mile minimum goal, Matt asked me one more time if I wanted to join he and the puppy on their run. Even though it was super short (because I just wasn't feeling it), it was enough to get me over 10 miles for the week! Small victories, right? 

Surprise of the week: Well, my surprise this week was how pregnancy has already affected my yoga practice. Last week, I had practiced yoga each day in order to help relieve the stress in my back, which I am sure is a side effect of the baby. However, during the yoga class last Saturday, I realized about half-way through that I needed to take it a little easier, so I did. But I am still feeling like I've overstretched  (another side effect of being pregnant) my hip flexors and groin and so I've been taking it easy on the stretching front.

My running buddy, asking
me why I'm so slow!

Week 4 Goal: Pick back up on the overall exercise level. Matt is supposed to be getting home early from work this week, so our plan is to get to the gym together after that!

Are you letting holidays affect your workout routine? Are you letting that get you down, or accepting it and then setting your #bestfoot forward again?

Running While Pregnant: Early on affects of pregnancy

I'm not an awesome runner, but I can usually trudge along for a fair distance and have been blessed enough to be able to do that with very little training. I think a lot of that is a benefit of growing up as a swimmer and the strong lung capacity that gave me. But there are two things that really shocked me early on in my pregnancy: 1. how greatly my lung capacity and endurance was affected and 2. how early on in my pregnancy my bladder was affected!

In May, Matt and I signed up for the Army Ten Miler, which takes place annually in the fall in Washington D.C. I had taken over a year off from training for anything after I caused plantar fasciitis training for the Miami ING Marathon. So, this was going to be my encouragement to start training/racing again. We started training in July and then at the beginning of August, I realized I was pregnant. Having gone through a miscarriage exactly 10 years before, while training for my very first Army Ten Miler, I was a bit apprehensive about continuing to train, since I was basically starting over running from scratch. I know that the doctors recommend that if you're fit and used to working out, you can usually continue to maintain your exercise regimen as long as you are mindful of your body, but I was still scared to somehow do anything to jeopardize my newly growing baby. With that in mind, I shared with my running partner, who was training for the ATM as well, that I wanted to take it easy with running for a bit and she fully supported that. While I didn't stop running altogether, I did run much less frequency than our training program called for.

Baby at week 10 with a strong heartbeat
makes for a happy mom!

But on those few runs is where I noticed these dramatic bodily changes that just blew me away. As early as week 6, I already felt pressure on my bladder as soon as I started running. Crazy! How can such a tiny little growing baby affect me so early? Additionally, I became winded so early in my runs. From about week 6 to week 10, I did not run more than 3.5 miles at one time. Because I was not running long distance, I attempted a few times to add in some interval training work, but noticed how much more difficult that was than I was used to. I am still amazed each day to learn new ways that this little baby affects my body, but it's all for a good cause. :)

I definitely listened to my body and walked when I felt too winded to run (as well as when my quickly growing chest asked me to!). While I doubt that my running had anything to do with my miscarriage years ago, it was hard to get that possibility out of my mind. But, this time around, I managed to run 2-3 times a week for that 5 week stretch and then picked up my mileage a bit to help prepare me for 'race' day in another month. And here we are at week 23, with more to come in this continuing series on running while pregnant!

Were you shocked by the affects of being pregnant to your exercise/training regimen? How did you alter your routine when you learned you were pregnant?

HBBC Week #3 Recap

Started the week with broccolini
in my ham and eggs.

Another successful HBBC week! I am really happy with how the group and the challenge is motivating me to get out there (mostly out of bed in the morning) when I'd rather stay tucked in!  I blew both my run/walk mileage and my points totals out of the water. Part of that was due to Matt being away on business and so I was encouraged by a wet nose to get out and run and walk more than normal. But, hey whatever it takes, right? Can I keep up the mileage? That's my plan! As far as freggies, I'm doing very well and am so happy about that. I'm still craving fresh fruits, but I also picked up a bag of dried mangos and cherries for when I'm on the go (and maybe to go in my belly in lieu of gummi bears!) Additionally, I've started keeping a bag of spinach in the fridge for my morning eggs. That's just too easy to do, but for the longest time, I just didn't feel like it!

HBBC Week #3 Roll-Up: 
Miles Run/Walk: 13.69
Strength/Core Workouts: 3
Yoga Practice: 7
Group Cardio Workouts: 1

Swims: 1Days w/ Complete Freggies Intake: 7

Total Weekly HBBC Points: 48.79
Bonus Points: 8

Week 3 Goal: Swim!

I got my swim in. I had to overcome a few obstacles...old equipment and then being out of swimming shape. But once I got through that, I got in a 30 minute swim on Friday and am so happy that I did. My back felt great while swimming, but the second I stepped out of the water, gravity kicked in again. (can we live in the water) I intend to continue to get at least one swim in a week, maybe even more!  

Surprise of the week: Yoga practice on Saturday was great in that it was like it was planned for me. Our instructor lead a whole practice on hip openers! Awesome, that's just what I've been working on to help loosen up my back. My buddy and I left feeling awesome; she felt so great that she came over in the evening and took the puppy out for a 4 mile run!

Week 4 Goal: Keep up my run/walk mileage. My goal will be to get in between 10-15 

Tired puppy post run.

miles between runs and walks. 

Have you had to overcome some obstacles to meet your weekly goals? Have you ever felt like a group workout was created with just you in mind?

Back to the Pavement...err..dirt!

Two things of note have occurred this week: ME and I signed up for our first triathlon in a few months and I ran for the first time since my last race....in April!

Race selection first. ME has been itching to get back to racing...me, not so much. I’m not sure what’s been the deal, but I haven’t been the most excited about races recently. I think it’s a combination of having to compete in all of the races alone that ME and I had signed up for together last year when he deployed to Haiti for a few months. Then, we’d trained for the Miami ING marathon this January and two weeks before the race, I flared up with plantar fasciitis and was unable to race. Then, again, we signed up for the Nautica SoBE tri because ME wanted to and, yet again, the Army called and I got to compete by myself (although thankfully a great friend competed as well, so I wasn’t alone). So, I really do enjoy competing in triathlons and running races, but I was just burnt out a little bit. But, I’m feeling ready to get back on track and so ME and I signed up for the Houston Triathlon on 23 Sep. 

ME and I ready to go

With that decision, it’s now time to start focusing our training on swimming, biking, and running again! Yesterday, our friend Amanda at RunToTheFinish, posted a great note about how we all GET to run. So, when ME suited up for a run on the hottest (as of that time) day of the year to run out at Memorial Park, I took her motivation and threw on my skirt (why run in anything else?) and hopped on the back of the scooter and we explored Memorial Park. It only took us 30 minutes of running in the shade of wonderful trees and up unfamiliar hills (c’mon, we’ve been in Miami for 2 years!) to realize we were actually running on the mountain biking trail! But, we now know where all the runners are and we’ll hit them up next time we get the urge to venture out.

Trying to get motivated for the run.

Having not run, except the 10k in the tri, in about 8 months, I felt like a rookie, I couldn’t get my ipod to track my run, then couldn’t find a comfortable spot for my ipod to attach, and my headphones kept falling out and/or I was getting tangled in the cord! But, we managed to have a great run and enjoy the day and the scenery (and maybe even those nasty hills). I won’t say it felt great, but it felt decent and I won’t be so afraid of getting out there anymore for fear of the PF flaring up again.


What motivates you to get out and exercise or train? Is anything currently holding you back?


Beat the Heat and get out there and exercise...and don't forget to rehydrate!

~ Samara

Things I’m Thankful for Today:

~ Exercise for the fun of it

~ Crafty solutions for the satellite dish

~ New ideas to save $$

~ Multi-national style dinners that actually come together

When to wear your race day t-shirt

Is it wrong to wear your race day t-shirt before the race actually takes place? I have a 5K on Sunday morning, but I picked up the packet on Tuesday and the race t-shirt ROCKS! I couldn’t stand it just sitting there on the kitchen table, so when I packed my gym bag this morning, I threw it in alongside the shirt I’d already picked out. At the gym…I had to make a decision…

The Jinx

I run mostly for exercise and not necessarily speed, but to better myself. I never go to a ‘race’ and intend (or expect) to win. So, if one should not wear the t-shirt before the race in order to avoid jinxing yourself, I don’t really fall into that category. What am I really going to jinx…my easy to medium paced jog?

The Reward

Is it uncouth to wear it prior to the race because you haven’t actually ‘earned’ the right yet? The t-shirt could be considered a reward for your hard work. So, maybe you should not wear it until you’ve fully earned the right, by completing the race! And what if you sleep in on race day and miss it - can you still wear the shirt afterwards?

The Label

I read somewhere that it is dorky to wear your race t-shirt to the actual race. I can’t remember a time that I ever wore it during the actual race, however sometimes I do like to wear it as my ‘clean’ shirt after the race is over and for the ride home. And the ride home often includes a stop at an eatery to which I don’t normally earn a trip; but in the special event of burning extra calories that day, I get to stop and partake. And I like knowing in the back of my head that people in the eatery know that I’ve earned my meal and THAT’s why I am there that day! J

The Exhibitionist

And how soon after the race is it appropriate to wear the shirt? Is it too showy to wear it the next day? Or should you be so proud of your accomplishment that you share it with others? I tend to lean towards waiting a week or so to throw it into my repertoire; so as not to seem like a race snob; non-racers who are working out are good people too…they might just not have such a cool shirt!

My Choice

With all this said, I chose to wear it on my run today. I felt a little apprehensive when I walked past people because I didn’t want them to see the date, clearly in bold, on the shirt. But, I loved running in it and can’t wait until a week from Monday to add it to my workout cycle! Hopefully I haven’t jinxed myself…